Mental Health of Affluent Teens: The Challenge of Prosperity

Our society is the most affluent in the history of the world, but wealth does not protect children from being at risk. Everyone knows someone whose child has seriously faltered, who has fallen into addiction, depression, or a more amorphous sort of “failure to thrive.” Current research shows that affluence itself is a risk factor in adolescent development — and it is not just in regards to having money, but how having money can distort values, parenting practices, and interpersonal relationships.

Based on research by Dr. Cheryl Rampage, licensed clinical psychologist and executive vice president at The Family Institute at Northwestern University, the following infographic describes the challenge of prosperity when it comes to the mental health of affluent teens and suggests a methodology that parents can apply to raise healthy and successful children.